Boss SD-1 "Bass Drive"

I've talked to many bass players who have searched high and low for a good overdrive for bass - something that will add meat to their tone, without destroying the low end and midrange. Most bass distortion/overdrive pedals on the market actually do way too much, and will often just turn the sound into mush. This can be a cool effect to use here and there, but it gets tired real fast if you try to use the pedal for any length of time. Lately, a couple of units have turned up, but they tend to cost inordinate amounts of money. This was a hole in the market, if I ever saw one!

I started with a stock Boss SD-1 and went for a variation of the Booster mod, but with extended frequency range to work for bass players. The SD-1 Bass Drive will distort and growl nicely at full gain, but the real secret lies in using it with moderation - when used carefully, it will add punch and grit to the sound, without losing any of the midrange clarity and attack. At low gain, the pedal only adds a little extra hair, which is perfect for adding character to an otherwise clean bass amp or line signal. Regardless of the amount of gain used, the pedal is tweaked to sound good through an amp as well as D.I'd straight to the FOH mixer - at the same time.

To tell this version apart from the various guitar modifications, it comes with a super bright white LED. Please do not look straight into it - it is very bright...

The modification

The input and output stages are optimized for electric bass and the input impedance is raised (to keep from loading down the pickups).
The gain structure of the pedal is completely remodeled, to make it work with all settings on the drive control. It can be dialed in to just add a little extra hair, all the way to proper Billy Sheehan growl...
The actual overdrive circuit is modified to provide full frequency range for the bass, while keeping the treble end from getting too harsh for a direct line signal to the PA or in the studio.
The op-amp chip is replaced with a hifi-spec unit from Burr-Brown, to add dynamics and clarity.
And finally, the LED is replaced for a 5 mm (same size as on the guitar pedals) ultrabright white unit, to make the pedal easily distinguishable. Your guitarist can't steal it now...

Price:

350 SEK / 32 EUR

Prices do not include shipping.